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Well, here it is, September 21st... 69 days post-op and I saw the surgeon today... had a complete physical including an MRI and (drum roll please) I have been released by the surgery clinic... Free at last, free at last, Thank God Almighty, I'm free at last... (thank you Dr. King for the perfect opening quote.)
The surgeon told me they had never released a patient prior to 90 days post-op and those few were all much younger than me and had much less extensive surgery than I did. In fact, I am their new "poster-boy" for what can be accomplished by laminectomy and disc replacement surgery combined with a regimented rehab and physical therapy schedule. They asked that I release my medical records (anonymously, of course) to the University of Minnesota Medical School as a case study, which I did.
It is now just a matter of sticking to the rehab and physical therapy schedule and "becoming" the new man they promised me and I, in turn, promised myself. I am still about 120 days, I figure, from full recovery but that is almost 6 months ahead of the time frame the docs gave me when all this started... I have officially lost 52 pounds, by the same scale they weighed me with the day of the surgery, in this 69 days, am 69 days smoke-free, and come the middle of January will have lost the remaining 70 to get to that 220 goal... Hell I weighed 220 the day I graduated Boot Camp at Parris Island... I don't think I will be able to get smaller than that lol... so the die is cast... I am physically sound according to the surgeon, the rest is up to me...
This will likely be the last entry to this blog and as such I want to take a moment here to thank all of you that have been following and commenting. Your support is one of the main reasons for this being so successful as it provides great motivation to tough this out and make it happen... wouldn't want to let you down, yanno?? My heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you...
And speaking of rehab, it's time for my afternoon walk... 9 miles today... care to join me?? C'mon, the fresh air will do you good....
Jeff
To paraphrase the words of the doc "I am the poster boy for laminectomy and disc replacement surgery". The healing process is so far beyond all expectation that while formal physical therapy would not normally begin for at least 90 days after such surgery, mine begins tomorrow, just 41 days post-op. UUUUUUUU fukin RRRRAAAAAHHHHHH !!!
The MRI shows that the pain I am still experiencing is the other herniated discs shrinking back into place and my lower spine adjusting to "normalcy" again. While I still awaken sometimes so stiff and sore I question this whole process, something the doc tells me will continue for a while, though he won't even hazard a guess as to how long with the progress I am making, this "new man" they promised me is taking shape, and faster than anyone could have imagined. Quite frankly, I think they just never took into account what a motivated Marine can overcome and accomplish, even at my age.
There really isn't a whole lot more to say, except for this... while I am most fortunate to have had my surgery done by the man that literally "wrote the book" on this procedure, this surgery works !! There is no need for anyone to suffer from chronic back pain caused by stenosis or herniated discs. It can be fixed. Yes, it hurts, it hurts like HELL and for the first few days you are going to ask yourself why you let them do this to you. Yes, you will be frightened by certain aspects of the recovery process and the pains and sensations in odd places, and yes, you are going to have your moments of doubt and perhaps even anger. Hell, my vanity would not let me walk around the neighborhood with a walker, so I went to Wal-Mart and grabbed one of their carts and walked around the store using the cart as my walker til I could walk without it.
But if you are willing to fight through all of that, if you are willing to do whatever it takes to improvise, overcome and adapt; and that means losing the weight, quitting smoking, walking when you literally can't take a step without pain, if you are willing to do the rehab necessary, there is a new man or woman inside you, just waiting for the chance to prove to you that age happens, but back pain does NOT have to be a part of it.
Oh, and one last little "tidbit", guys... in the hope of avoiding being too "graphic" here, let's just say that "Morningwood" is no longer just the name of some new wave band anymore. Tired of the little blue or brown pill?? Ready to get back in the game "for real"?? Get your back fixed... you'll be amazed at what a dose of nerve repair and regeneration will do for you... Now I just gotta find someone to spend some mornings with, lol.
Next appointment is Sept 21st... see you then
Jeff
We are going to call this installment "When the going gets tough," because there is an aspect to this recovery process I was never warned about by any of my doctors nor anticipated on my own.... WITHDRAWAL ...
When the severity of my back problems was fully diagnosed on June 6th, my primary care physician put me on some pretty serious pain meds at that point, then came the first visit with the neurosurgeon and even more serious meds, then the surgery and the morphine/dilaudid/percodan/dyazapam cocktails 4 times a day. For more than 8 weeks, I was pumping my body as full of narcotics as any junkie, and after the surgery, for the next 4 weeks, well lets just say that's a month of my life that I will never get back...
So Thursday last, I decided it was time to crawl out from under the blanket of drug induced stupor and assess where I really was as far as healing is concerned... oh sure, I was doing my rehab walks as ordered and my stretches and standing exercises, and have even lost 42 pounds in the process, but who wouldn't be able to do that as greased as I was on the pain killers.. I mean hell, you could have set me on fire and I wouldn't have known it.
Thursday was not too bad and as the effects of the meds wore off I realized I was not hurting nearly as badly as I had anticipated. Oh there was still pain alright, but it was tolerable and remained that way throughout the day so I decided not to have a cocktail before bed.
Then came Friday morning... yesterday... I was awakened by the fact that my pillow was completely drenched in sweat... I mean soaked... I had to throw it away. I was nauseated like never before and every joint in my body ached like I had the flu or something... I did make it to the bathroom before my first episode of hyperemesis (vomiting), but spent most of the morning there and quite frankly, would not have been surprised to have seen my slippers in that bowl at some point.
About the time I was able to get back to bed, the hallucinations began and either I was finally having one of those flashbacks they promised me when I was doing all that acid... or I was suffering full withdrawal symptoms. Now it would have been easy enough to simply go mix myself a cocktail, hell make it a double, and make it all go away, but to what end?? Having to relive this morning and what turned out to be the entire day and most of the night again?? OH HELL NO... The pain was tolerable and I was not about to start this cycle over again so I laid in bed and watched the pink hippos and green crocodiles do their dance, drifting in and out of sleep.. sleep in which the dreams were basically the same as being awake so I can't say for sure what was sleep and what wasn't... what I can tell you is, it was no fun and somebody in this process should have given some type of warning about it. I'll be having a long talk with my docs about it when I see them again on the 23rd..
As I sit and write this, I am still dizzy, am still seeing flashes, and movement in my peripheral vision but for the most part the hallucinations have gone away. I was able to eat, and keep down, a good though small breakfast and the pain is even less today. In fact, as I sit here now, comfortable in this overly padded chair, except for this lingering headache, there is no pain at all, and although that will change when I take my first rehab walk shortly, I can say here with all confidence, that the healing process is in its last stages and it is now totally up to me to do the rehab necessary to be this "new man" the docs promised me when all this began... and this old Marine is gonna do whatever it takes to get there...
Now, for those of you who were kind enough and did me the courtesy of reading this, I hope you will give me a bit more of your time and read my newest blog, simply called FUBAR. I have some things to say, both about the site and my involvement here, and while it won't be pretty, it will be from the heart. And once again, let me give each and every one of you a most sincere and heartfelt "thank you" for all the love and support you have shown me during this "adventure" for lack of a better word. It would not have been possible without you.
Just got home from my first post-op exam and thought this would be a good time to update everyone on what's going on. It's hard to know where to begin because there was so much good news today. First, and perhaps foremost I have lost 34 pounds since the morning of the surgery... not bad for 20 days. It's really amazing what you can do when you set yourself goals and do the things necessary to meet them... so I am ahead of schedule on this one and only have 101 pounds to go now to be back to my exact weight the day I graduated Boot Camp on Parris Island.
Secondly, the incision has healed so well that they went ahead and removed the stiches today, once again only 20 days after surgery. That was not scheduled to be done until August 23rd, 4 to 6 weeks being the normal time for a 12 inch incision. My mobility, flexibility and strength all were well beyond expectation based on the chart, so in short, I am doing GREAT!!!
All except the pain, which is still an issue. With pain meds fully operational, so to speak, it is almost as though I dont even feel as though I had surgery, but if I miss a dose, well, I don't even want to think about that, lol. So the docs were kind enough to give me a fresh supply of those meds that work best for me, dilaudid and percodan and its now just a matter of keeping the pain under control as I continue to rehab and recouperate, both of which I am well ahead of schedule. I even went to the grocery yesterday, loaded and unloaded the groceries and was even able to put them away. I was exhausted after but it sure is a good feeling to know that I am pretty much able to do for myself again without assistance.
I still need my walker to get up out of bed and still can's sit here for more than a couple of hours at a time but I now firmly believe the docs were absolutely right... in a couple of months, I am gonna feel like a new man... so still looking for that lovely lady that wants and needs a new man in her life... lol
Thank you all for the love and support you have shown me during this time. I honestly believe it is a major factor in the great success this entire process has been so far and thanks for taking the time to give this a read. The greatest feeling in the world is knowing you have friends who care enough..... to care...
I figure the next update will be around August 23rd when the real physical and MRI will be done, so until then, love to all and thank you again for all the love you show me each and every day.
Jeff
First, let me say once again how utterly amazed I am by all the love and concern my family and friends have shown me throughout this ordeal. I am completely overwhelmed and wish to express my heartfelt and sincere gratitude to each and every one of you. You have all played a role in my recovery process and from the bottom of my heart I thank you.
Now, I have been home for 5 days, so I thought maybe it would be a good time for a little update on my progress. It is mind-boggling that so many other "ailments" can be fixed by getting your back, back, so to speak. Things that would mean very little to you in your normal day-to-day life have literally astounded me over these past few days. For instance, I can now cross my legs. I haven't been able to do that for years. I could always reach down and grab my ankle and pull it up over my knee, but now I can just cross my legs... sure makes changing socks easier.
I can pick a dime up off the floor now, without having to squat or bend my knees, and one of the strangest things occured just the other day. My left pinky finger has been numb and useless for years now, and as I sat upstairs watching TV I began to get a burning sensation that ran from my left elbow right through the end of that pinky. Back and forth, up and down my arm it went and about two hours later, I had complete feeling in and full use of that pinky again. Who would have thought that nerve regeneration in the lumbar spine could affect numbness in a finger??
My mobility and flexibility continue to improve though I must admit the rehab walks are truly a pain. And while we are on the subject of pain, lemme tell ya... the morphine/dilaudid/percodan/dyazapam cocktails the bartender here serves are better than Wild Turkey... and I never in my life would have believed ANYTHING was better than good bourbon for what ails ya... The pain is still intense at times, especially when I awaken after a good night's sleep, but is under control now and with each passing day I feel stronger and more "able".
Still can't sit here too long but I am doing the best I can to keep up with the love. Please keep it coming as you keep me in your thoughts and bear with me if I am slow to respond as it is likely bCoz I am not here. And please excuse the typos if you shout me. I cant see the keyboard right now, much less the letters on the keys... the cocktails in this bar will blow your mind... and speaking of which, here comes the bartender even as I type, so I will close for now, but express emphatically to all of you who were gracious enough to read this, that if you are having back problems, don't be a fool like I was and wait two pain filled years to have them checked out. They are only going to get worse as time passes and I "stand", pun intended, as living proof that you can be healed, that your quality of life can be improved through the marvels of modern medical surgical techniques.... and good pain killers of course...lol
Well, I am finally home... and as such I figure the best way to disseminate the 411 on the situation is a blog, mainly bCoz I won't be here much for the next few days and with the some 800 messages I have waiting here, all this love waiting from the best friends and family on the site I wanted everyone to get their answers as quickly and easily as possible.... so here goes...
The surgery was at around noon on 7/14... I say around noon bCoz I was passed out at the time.... due to my severe apnea, they had to insert the breathing tube while I was awake, a most unpleasant experience to say the least, but fortunately the last I remember before being knocked out... when they got in there they found more damage than had been revealed on the MRI and I wound up having 3 laminectomies and 1 disc replacement...
Then, the nightmare begins... I awoke in recovery around 4:30 pm, this time around 4:30 bCoz at that point I was TOTALLY fupped duck... but not so drugged as to not feel the pain... I won't use the word "excrutiating" as I dont want to offend anyone who believes that crucifixion was the ultimate pain, but I will describe it as someone taking an acetylene torch to my back. Fortunately a little black box filled with a combination of morphine and dilaudid and a no limit trigger put out the flame for a few seconds every few minutes and after a couple of hours I was moved into my room...
The little black box ran dry about an hour later, but so did the nightmare as the care I received from the nurses, nursing assistants, orderlies and the entire floor staff was nothing short of amazing... I mean never more than 30 seconds between pushing the call button and someone being there to take care of whatever the need might be... pain meds administered on time every time... if I was asleep they woke me to ensure the pain stayed moderated. No middle of the night blood draws or blood pressure checks, but rather timed with med admin so no unnecessary disturbances... even the food was hot and while not necessarily 5 star, was tasty and ample... like I said nothing short of amazing...
By day 4, I was able to sit up in bed for the first time without assistance and that afternoon, with the help of a walker, took my first feeble steps out into the world again and it was about this time I realized hitches and clicks in my hips and knees and even certain back movements, things that have hampered me for years no longer existed.... I was healing and problems I had been experiencing for years prior to all of this were going away as well... that the nearly 3 years of chiropractors and physical and drug therapy had not accomplished what these past few days had and it was getting better literally by the hour as nerves began to regenerate and function again...
Day 5 saw even more improvement in pain levels and flexibility, so much so that I was finally allowed to take a shower... but there was a BIG downside to that... no more sponge baths by that cute little nursing assistant, Melissa... that girl sure knew how to rub a guy in pain the right way... er so to speak...
This morning, 7/20, I awoke with virtually no pain, meaning the healing process had finally caught up with the medication therapy and after several tests, including 3 times around the floor with no walker, strength tests of my lower extremities, up and down 3 flights of stairs without assistance, the docs said it was time to get my lazy ass off their bed and into my own, and thankfully that is now where I am... home.
Now I will still be taking as Beldar Conehead so aptly put it "mass quantities" of pain meds for the next few days I won't be around much, so let me give a quick heartfelt thank you for all the love you all showed while I was away and I will be returning it as I am able. I firmly believe the docs were right, I am going to feel like a new man soon... so any of you lovely ladies of FUBAR need a new man in their lives?? Talk to you soon as I am able to sit here longer and please know that all the love and prayers and concernshowen me during this time has me completely overwhelmed with gratitude... Thank you all... I missed you too...
